From Revenge to Reconciliation: Bodoland Happiness Mission Heals Old Wounds

When violence erupted in Bodoland on July 20, 2012, lives were shattered in a matter of days.

Jugamai Boro (name changed) saw her home go up in flames and lost her brother in the first wave of rioting.

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More than 110 people were killed, over 400,000 displaced from nearly 400 villages, and 270 relief camps were set up to shelter the victims.

The entire Bodoland region was caught in the whirlpool of ethnic violence, and survivors like Jugamai, Mantu Soren and Ruhul Amin carried both grief and anger for years.

For a long time, reconciliation seemed impossible. Families who had suffered devastating losses spoke of living with fear and carrying what they described as the “weight of revenge.”

Yet today, many of those who once dreamed of vengeance speak a different language. They have begun to forgive, to seek peace, and to rebuild their communities. The reason, they say, is the Bodoland Happiness Mission.

The programme was launched in 2022 across the four districts of Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri, and Chirang by Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) Chief Executive Member Pramod Boro.

Focused on mental and emotional well-being, the mission offers training in mindfulness, emotional intelligence, trauma therapy, and peace-building. It aims to create resilient communities capable of moving beyond decades of conflict and mistrust.

“Bodoland has witnessed six to seven waves of conflict, and though all militant groups have now come into peace, the pain remains in people’s hearts. That is why, under the guidance of Pramod Boro, we began the Bodoland Happiness Mission in 2023. It is meant for all 26 communities. Through healing circles, reconciliation programmes, and even public apologies from former NDFB leaders, we are creating spaces for forgiveness. The upcoming community museum, representing 18 languages, is also a step towards inclusiveness and collective memory,” Morin Daimary, Programme Manager of the Mission, told The Statesman.

Generations in Bodoland have grown up in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. The demand for a separate state in the 1980s sparked riots, insurgency, curfews, and mass displacement.

Schools were abandoned, livelihoods collapsed, and women and children in relief camps were left extremely vulnerable. Hatred became a way of life. The Happiness Mission attempts to reverse that history. Through therapy sessions and counselling, survivors have been encouraged to confront their trauma, express their grief, and learn to imagine a future without revenge.

Since 2023, more than 1,700 peace volunteers have been trained, and over 15,000 people—including former insurgent leaders—have participated. Many of them are now “Happiness Champions” working within their own villages to organise dialogues and mediate conflicts. Women leaders and community figures have also been actively involved, helping to foster trust in divided societies.

The initiative has won support even from former militants. Sambhu Hansda, once an Adivasi insurgent leader, said he is optimistic about the path ahead. “The Bodoland Happiness Mission has brought back peace. I am optimistic it can lead us to permanent reconciliation,” he said.

Others, like Prabhat Chandra Sutradhar, Senior Adviser of the All BTR Sutradhar Sanmillan, described the project as a game-changer for a region long ravaged by violence. Behind the scenes, experts like Sunny Donkupar Mawiong, Director of Earthtree, helped design the programme’s curriculum and ensured its reach across the BTR.

For nearly four decades, Bodoland was defined by clashes and mistrust. Thousands died, lakhs were displaced, and an entire generation was robbed of stability and opportunity. Today, survivors like Jugamai, Mantu, and Ruhul say they no longer feel consumed by the urge to take revenge. They have discovered the strength of forgiveness and the hope of coexistence.

The Bodoland Happiness Mission is still a young experiment, but it has already begun to shift mindsets in a region scarred by conflict.